Conversations in Cloth exists to support and encourage the creative energy of our members in their pursuit of fiber art and related artistic endeavors. By sharing ideas and knowledge, we will foster the growth of each individual.
We meet the last Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm at the Menasha Public Library, Menasha, Wisconsin.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Recap of August Meeting (August 30, 2007)Julie, personal shopper extraordinaire, delivered the Richeson stuff. She also brought an ooh-and-ah show and tell: a beaded purse from her mom’s snorkeling trip friend. Michelle is still working on her Quilt University dye class, and showed us a variety of ways to have fun with food. A favorite was her mashed potato resist, which was produced by letting a big plop of mashed potatoes dry on fabric and spraying dye over the top. Gill showed us her most recent “stash pot pie” quilt, a beautiful riot of batiks. Marilyn made a simple bracelet at Camp Onaway, and her niece made some postcards. Pat had a cute puppy block to show. Theresa attended Nancy Eha’s beading class through DNQG. She forgot her project, but brought the book for show and tell.

In our main program for the evening, Gill taught us how to make chenille pot holders (it was an easy, “instant gratification” way to learn the technique). Wash those babies up and bring them for show and tell in September!

Announcements and RemindersDon’t forget “A Finishing Odyssey,” our challenge for 2007. The goal is to show “substantial progress” by our December party meeting, which will be Thursday December 13th at 6:30 p.m. in Gulliver’s restaurant in Neenah (just off the Breezewood exit). We’ll also plan on a white elephant gift exchange. Julie will reserve a table for us—mark your calendars now to save the date and be sure to RSVP come November when the reminder comes out.

Per Theresa, The Sewing Basket in Plymouth (www.sewingbasket.biz) is hosting a fashion show in December and will be soliciting entries. Wouldn’t it be neat to enter as a club? (As of now, I was unable to find any information on their web site pertaining to the show, but perhaps it will be posted as the time draws closer.) This shop also has monthly “Creative Art” classes on Tuesday afternoons. They also host an art quilting “sit and sew.” Check the site for more info.

September Meeting (Thursday September 27, 2007) at the Menasha Public LibrarySewing studios, led by…EVERYONE! Please take photos of your sewing space, whether it be a room of your own or a corner carved out of the dining room. Be sure to include anything that’s not working you’d like advice on and especially any unique features or tips you have to offer.You may bring your photos in any of the following ways:

Email digital pics to Katy. (DEADLINE Tuesday September 25th! I spend Wednesday evenings with Jon and the boys and will NOT be online.)

Bring your photos on a USB memory stick (Katy will bring her computer and Julie will obtain the library’s projector.)

Bring your photos on a CD or DVD.

Bring slides. (I know, no one has slides any more, but we will be viewing a slide presentation borrowed from DNQG courtesy of Theresa, so we’ll have a projector.)

Recap of July Meeting (July 25, 2007)Exciting news! Both Karen and Michele have had pieces accepted into the Wisconsin Quilt Expo (Karen’s fish and Michele’s “Oliver”). The show is September 13-15 in Madison.As for show and tell, Gill brought a Betty Boop quilt she’d made with fabric she found at Yds. Is there anything that can’t be find hiding in some corner there?! She was working on an intriguing form of Japanese braiding called “Kumihimo.” (Go ahead, Google it!) Karen finished her postcard from the May meeting…it’s now her name tag! Michele showed us some hand dyed skin tones she’d been working on…except they came out green! Check out the directions on www.fabricdyeing101.blogspot.com and see if you have any better luck. She also had some gorgeous pieces made by spraying dye, a technique she learned through Quilt University.The rest of the meeting was spent couching our hearts out. Katy demo’d a few machine techniques, and Karen showed how easy it is to couch by hand, even those “troublesome” yarns.

Announcements and RemindersDon’t forget “A Finishing Odyssey,” our challenge for 2007. Gill joined the festivities, bringing her unfinished tree skirt and wool folk art barn raising to show. Remember, the plan is to show “substantial progress” on the UFO by the December party. In July we forgot to settle on a December party date, so bring your calendars to the August meeting.

August Meeting (Thursday August 30, 2007) at the Menasha Public LibraryChenille, led by Gill. Gill will supply kits for $4. All you need to bring is your sewing machine, needles, thread, a few pins and a walking foot.